I will be installing a double hung window 35" tall by 47" wide. Its the Excalibur by Alside. I will be finishing the ext. with wood trim. If you can help me with some of the questions below that would be great.

1. Will 2.5" deck screws be fine to use or should I use something else?

2. There are 2 holes on each side to secure the window to the framing, since this window is wide should I also screw into the top and bottom of the window to prevent any future sagging?

3. What is the removable cap that runs the length of the top of the window?

Thanks,

John

 

Is this a replacement window that is going inside an old window jamb, or does it have a nailing fin, and you are installing it into a rough opening?

I would suggest that you use the installation screw holes provided, and not add any additional holes, especially in the bottom. Screws though the bottom can pierce the weep system and could potentially create a leak. Galvanized or stainless steel deck screws would be fine to use in any case.

If the piece you are referring to is shaped like a C... a rectangle open on one end, that is probably your head expander- something that is optional- it is used in situations where the window is too short- you put it on the window, then once the window is set in place, it gets shoved up to fill any gap that would otherwise be above the window. If you are doing a retrofit (putting a replacement window into an old jamb) you should have an L shaped piece which is the sill expander- it goes beneath the front lip of the window to take up any gap below the window as it sits on a sloped sill.

 

XSleeper, yes this is a replacement window ready to go in after I remove the old one. Where I got the window they cut it down by 1/4" so It should go right in if my measurements are right.

So I don't need to worry about the top of the window sagging? Just use the pilot holes on both sides and I should be ok.

One more question, I noticed that on the side of the window there is a screw with a flat head and its on both sides. See link. The mounting screw hole is at the top and bottom of and approx in the middle are those screws. Where the pic says mounting screw, there is one on each side. Any idea what it is for? The "L" piece you were referring to is the "vinyl trim" piece in the pic, correct? Thanks for the help.

You might have to zoom in on the pic.

http://www.av123forum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=4931&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

 

Whether or not it will sag depends somewhat on the quality of the window, as well as its type. If the window came with any 3/8" plugs, you can drill additional holes through the top layer of vinyl so as to add additional screws. But if you don't have the vinyl plugs, I wouldn't put holes in the frame... its kind of unsightly. Depending on what type of window it is, the glass will keep the window straight because it isn't going to sag. You can also caulk both sides of the frame which will often help keep it from sagging.

In your illustration (upper circular illustration), the head expander (C shaped piece) is labelled "new vinyl trim and insulation" because you sandwich fiberglass between the head expander and the top of the window.

The sill expander (L shaped piece) is labelled "vinyl trim" in the lower circular illustration.

The screws with the flat heads are shim adjustments. After the window is installed, you can give these screws a few turns which will cause the window to tighten up in the opening. If you look at the perimeter of the window, you should be able to see that the flat screw is actually a "truss head" screw that goes through the frame which acts like a shim when you turn the flat screw.

 

XSleeper, thanks. As for the flat screw, that makes since. I guess they should have been set before the window was screwed into place. There is some flex in the middle of the frame where that screw should have been set. At this point I will add some shims to rid the flex.

As for the top sagging, no there were no plugs. So only the 2 screws on each side are holding the window in place and some insulation foam from the can (low expansion foam).

I have one more question. The window is installed, level, plumb and square. Do windows have adjustments to center the window in the frame? The lower window is more to the right and not centered. There are 2 screws at the bottom of the window on each side but when loosened it didn't free the window to move side to side.

Thanks

 

Well, since you have a double hung that is so wide, I suppose you should put a screw in the top. For some reason I didn't notice you said "double hung" in your first post. That's *VERY* wide for a DH. You can just predrill an 1/8" hole in the middle of the frame (on top) and put a screw in. If you don't want it to be seen, maybe you can put it above the upper sash so that it's hidden when the windows are closed. Or it can go in the front track, depending on which works better. Put a shim in the gap so that it tightens down on the shim to keep it straight.

Take a tape measure and measure your width across the top, middle and bottom of the window frame. I always measure the area the front sash slides in. Make sure it isn't spread in the center. Check the outside track also. You can have the window level and square and it can still be spread.

When you go to shim the middle, if you are using tapered shims, it works best to turn one shim one way (fat end out) and another shim the opposite way (thin end out) so that the two shims will be the same thickness when placed together. (if that makes any sense?) By sliding them against each other you can make the shim thicker or thinner until you've got the right thickness.

Then open both windows (top & bottom sashes) just a crack. Open them enough that you can see a thin gap. That gap should be straight all the way across the sash. If the gap is wider on one side than the other, you likely need to jack the window left or right, up or down.

See if any of those suggestions help.

 

XSleeper, thanks, from the bottom to the top I'm about 1/16" off. But if you look at the top sash it looks centered in the frame. However, the bottom sash looks to sit more to the right with even spacing to the frame so the front weather stripping on the left has min contact with the frame. I called Alside, and lady I spoke to said there is a sash adjustment and gave me the website for the installation instructions. After reading them I did not see any adjustments mentioned. Now if you watch the video they mention adjusting the sash's and sweep window locks. I don't see how the locks can be adjusted because they are pre-drilled with no movement? I also removed the the balance cover and adjusted the jamb screw. I'm thinking the sash adjustment is for how the window rides in the frame? I pulled the bottom sash out and noticed that the left pivot bar sticks out further than the right pivot bar. Could this be my problem?

Oh and the specs for the window state a max width of 48". So do I really need to add a screw in the top header to prevent sag?

Installations instructions are under Alside and in the purple area near the top of the page and the parts list is under Excalibur to the left under picture thanks,


http://www.associatedmaterials.net/

 

You say the window is within 1/16 top to bottom, but my question is, is it okay from side to side? That's the measurement you should check at the top, middle and bottom to ensure it is the same.... the width from left to right.

Windows that are loose in the middle will do exactly what you mention... sit too far to one side. The length of the pivot bar shouldn't have anything to do with it unless it is way too long for some reason.

As far as the bottom sash sitting to one side, (if its not spread in the middle) that to me would indicate that the frame of the window has been installed out of square and that the frame would need to be moved farther to the left on the bottom, or that the top of the frame would need to be moved more to the right. By doing that, you might change the "reveals" (that gap I referred to earlier, which is supposed to be straight) under the sash, but if that is what it takes to get the window lined up, that's what you need to do.

If moving the bottom of the frame to the left makes the reveal along the bottom look bad, then you might need to shim the frame up on the left just a tad to compensate for making that diagonal longer.

Yes, I would install the screw in the top. You might even consider putting a pair of screws in.

 

XSleeper, yes that is how I measured, from the bottom, middle to the top. The bottom width being 46 3/4 to the top being 46 11/16. I checked to make sure the window was square when I finished and it looked like it was square. I checked each corner with a 24" square. I will try your recommendations and see if I can get the reveals correct. I just wanted to make its not an adjustment before I loosen the screws and start shimming again. thanks,

 

Yeah, using a framing square might seem like it would work well, but it probably isn't the best way to square windows. Measuring the diagonals with a tape measure works better- the diagonal measurements should be equal. And even if they say they are equal, sometimes the reveals still won't be right if the sashes aren't perfect. The best thing to do is try to get it square, but if the reveals aren't right, forget square and adjust it so that they seal, lock properly.

 

XSleeper, thank you for all the help. Very much appreciated.